Moxie Labs has taken remote work to another level, hiring tech talent abroad as the Philadelphia digital design and marketing agency rapidly scales.
Moxie Labs CEO Justin Mathews started the firm in early 2020 after leaving his role as COO at design agency O3 World. In the nearly two years since Moxie began doing business, it’s increased its headcount to 35 while doubling year-over-year revenue to $2 million. The agency is now recruiting for 10 more employees with positions open in design, development and project management, and it’s looking globally to fill them.
Moxie has always had offshore staff — about half of the company’s 35 employees live abroad — but it keeps its "heads of state" in the U.S. The firm has employees in India, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Canada, South Africa and South America, with project managers distributed globally to manage teams.
“We've staffed a little bit higher on offshore staff just because there's been better talent available,” Mathews said. “And to be honest, there's been more talent available, and I think that’s what helped us out the most.”
Hiring offshore is a matter of getting “the best butts in the best seats,” Mathews said, and it also helps bring down costs for client budgets. Having employees based abroad has also led to other Philadelphia agencies kicking work to Moxie because of its international capabilities, he said. The firm is working with clients in London and India.
Business stepped up in 2021, with Moxie doubling revenue year over year to just over $2 million and the agency already selling out the first quarter of 2022. Moxie is on pace to generate at least $3 million in revenue next year, Mathews said.
The majority of Moxie's domestic workforce, about 13 employees, are located in Greater Philadelphia but the rest are spread throughout the U.S. in locales including Texas, Seattle and Charlotte. Keeping Moxie remote helps give the firm access to a lot more talent without having to battle other Philadelphia agencies for job candidates when it can’t compete against larger firms on salary, Mathews said.
Moxie hasn’t had to make many concessions when it comes to hiring, such as selecting a candidate with good skills but not enough experience, but Mathews has had to increase salaries to get the candidates the agency wants.
“We're looking for hitters, and some of our bigger clients expect that kind of work,” Mathews said. “And we're working hard at making sure that happens, but it's been a little bit slow.”
